To protect and to serve

April 11, 2025Newsletter Archives

For the better part of a century, Chevrolet has been producing vehicles for law enforcement. Police departments have been buying Chevys and other General Motors models as patrol cars since the 1920s, adding on two-way radios, specialized lighting and other features, all the better to protect and to serve, as the motto first adopted by the Los Angeles Police Department says.

And we’ve been producing tough and capable police vehicles ever since.

In 1955, Chevy introduced the first factory-installed police packages, which featured beefed up engines and braking systems for tracking down bad guys. In ’55, we offered police vehicles with the “Turbo-Fire V8” engine, with “hard-hitting new power,” as we said in advertisements at the time. “You may not need high-stepping action all the time, but when you do, you need it right now!” we said in the same ad. 

Our police vehicles have evolved over time to add modern technology – and to respond to the needs of the men and women in blue. “Where tenacious staying ability and all-out performance is required for highway cruising and pursuit, Chevrolet offers you two sizzling new 327-cubic-inch V8s,” we said in a 1962 advertisement aimed at police departments.  

As detailed this week on GM News, GM’s 2025 police vehicle lineup is led by the Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle, the first all-electric, purpose-built, pursuit-rated police vehicle. Also on offer: the Tahoe PPV, which has been updated to include a 17.1-inch diagonal infotainment screen and upgraded safety and driver-assistance technology, including an optional Rear Camera Mirror. Law enforcement can also choose the Silverado PPV, which combines a 5.3-liter V8 engine with the Z71 off-road package, perfect for chasing miscreants through the wilderness.

After you read all about our police cars (including some nice images from the GM Heritage Center and Archives), be sure to check our great story on Robert Wickens, who this weekend returns to top tier racing for the first time in seven years following a terrible crash. And take a peek at our new Corvette concept - it will leave you breathless.

-- Eric Savitz, editor-in-chief, GM News